Strong quake strikes off Japan

A strong earthquake centred off the coast of northeastern
Japan shook buildings as far as Tokyo and led to a tsunami
warning for coastal areas of the northeast, public
broadcaster NHK says.

The earthquake had a preliminary magnitude of 7.3, the U.S.
Geological Survey said, adding that there was no risk of a
widespread tsunami. That was revised from an earlier estimate
of 7.4.

A warning for a one-metre tsunami was issued for the coast of
Miyagi Prefecture in northeastern Japan, which was hit by a
devastating earthquake and tsunami in March 2011.

That quake triggered fuel-rod meltdowns at the Fukushima
nuclear plant, causing radiation leakage, contamination of
food and water and mass evacuations in the world's worst
nuclear crisis since Chernobyl in 1986.

The government declared in December that the disaster was
under control, but much of the area is still free of
population.

Tokyo Electric Power Co, the operator of the Fukushima
nuclear plant, reported no irregularities at its nuclear
plants after the latest quake.